Description

A new English translation of one of the most important, controversial Iranian novels of the twentieth century.

Written by one of the greatest Iranian writers of the twentieth century, Blind Owl tells a two-part story of an isolated narrator with a fragile relationship with time and reality. In first person, the narrator offers a string of hazy, dreamlike recollections fueled by opium and alcohol. He spends time painting the exact same scene on the covers of pen cases: an old man wearing a cape and turban sitting under a cypress tree, separated by a small stream from a beautiful woman in black who offers him a water lily. In a one-page transition, the reader finds the narrator covered in blood and waiting for the police to arrest him. In part two, readers glimpse the grim realities that unlock the mysteries of the first part.

In a new translation that reflects Hedayat’s conversational, confessional tone, Blind Owl joins the ranks of classics by Edgar Allan Poe, Franz Kafka, and Fyodor Dostoyevsky that explore the dark recesses of the human psyche.

"A haunting and unforgettable work of literature. Hedayat's 'Blind Owl' is a masterpiece that continues to captivate readers with its timeless themes and haunting imagery."

- Literary Gazette

"Prepare to be mesmerized. 'Blind Owl' is a tour de force of existential literature that leaves an indelible mark on the soul. Hedayat's haunting prose will haunt you long after you've finished reading."

- The Observer